Kathleen Pender
SF Chronicle
San Francisco, CA, United States
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Past articles by Kathleen:
Why the IRS says Californians may want to hold off on filing tax returns
The IRA still has not issued guidance on whether the California “middle-class tax refund” is taxable on federal returns. Here's what TurboTax and H&R Block say. → Read More
What to know about filing your 2022 tax return, as IRS warns of smaller refunds for some
It’s almost tax time, and as usual, many people will find a batch of baffling changes on... → Read More
How a new rule for $1 million mortgages could help Bay Area homebuyers in 2023
For the first time ever, the government will back mortgages in the Bay Area over $1 million, an incremental but important change. → Read More
How will California weather a recession compared to other states? See ‘stress test’ rankings
Thanks to a large budget surplus, California ranks high among the 50 states in readiness to get through a moderate recession without having to raise taxes or slash spending. → Read More
Here are 7 things investors can do as stocks keep falling — without trying to time the market
Inflation and interest rates are soaring. Stocks are plummeting and bond funds could post their worst year ever. Here are some ways experts suggest investors can respond. → Read More
Californians could get up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness. Do you qualify?
President Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan. Here are some things we know and don’t know about the loan cancellation program so far. → Read More
What would happen to Bay Area home prices if a recession hits?
As recession fears rise, so do questions about Bay Area home prices. Here’s a look at the history, and what experts say could happen this time. → Read More
How some Bay Area home buyers are saving thousands a year in property taxes
Many Bay Area residents are taking advantage of a new tax break which was passed as... → Read More
California's EDD freezes many people's unemployment benefits to combat fraud
The state’s Employment Development Department has suspended payments for numerous people because of fear of fraud. Many Californians who said they are legitimately unemployed say they desperately need the frozen funds. → Read More
Use it or lose it: Gift cards could become worthless if the issuer goes bankrupt
The number of retailers filing bankruptcies in 2020 was the highest in more than a decade, and more could follow. So if you have a gift card, use it. → Read More
New stimulus payments are coming to the Bay Area: Here’s what’s changed and what hasn’t
The new coronavirus relief bill also expands incentives for charitable giving. → Read More
How the new federal stimulus bill will help unemployed Californians
Some people in California could end up receiving as m any as 70 weeks of regular unemployment benefits including benefits already received, if Congress passes and President Trump signs the bill. → Read More
Bay Area home prices maintained record in November, despite out-migration
In a sign of the times, a Lafayette “tear-down” sold for $1.75 million, almost double the asking price, with 33 offers. → Read More
Some unemployed Californians could be forced to repay part of their pandemic benefits
The California Employment Development Department is requiring people who received more than $167 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to substantiate their 2019 net income or face a partial reduction and repayment of benefits. → Read More
How Prop. 19 property tax measure will (or won’t) affect real estate held in a trust
Some parents are transferring property into irrevocable trusts for their children before Feb. 16, to preserve a tax break that will expire when Prop. 19 takes effect in California. → Read More
Credit card issuers ax some perks, add others in response to pandemic
Bank of America becomes the latest financial institution to discontinue rental car coverage on one of its popular credit cards. → Read More
Insurers can't drop homeowners for one year in these California ZIP codes near recent wildfires
About 18% of California homeowners and renters near this year’s fires, including many in the Bay Area, will be protected from cancellations and non-renewals for at least a year. → Read More
Proposition 19, which modifies Prop. 13 property-tax breaks, maintaining its lead in California
The ballot measure would expand one property tax break for seniors but narrow another for transfers of real estate between parents and children. → Read More
Interactive map shows how much property tax you pay, compared to your neighbors
Proposition 15 got map creator Ian Webster interested in property taxes in California, but he wanted the data to speak for itself. → Read More
San Francisco condos are the Bay Area's weakest real estate market. So why aren't home prices dropping more?
A shift to bigger homes is playing out in sales for city neighborhoods and across the Bay Area. → Read More